Debinding tool

ABSTRACT

Uncased books or bound documents of the type shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,596,929 comprise sheets formed with spaced apertures along one margin bound by a first thermo-plastic strip having studs fitting through the apertures and a second strip formed with holes, preferably counterbored through which the studs extend. The studs are cut to proper length and headed to fill the counterbores. A debinding tool has a blade which fits under the second strip, between the topmost sheet and the strip and shears off the studs or pops off the heads. The tool may be used to fulfill the debinding function in several ways.

tates Dec.3,1l974 DEBllNDING TOOL [75] Inventor: Theodore A. DAddario, Pleasanton,

Calif.

[73] Assignee: Velo-Bind, lnc., Sunnyvale, Calif.

[22] Filed: Apr. 16, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 351,771

[52] US. Cl. 30/280 [51] Int. Cl. 1826b 3/00 [58] Field of Search 30/90.4, 280, 294, 278, 30/281, 293, 282, 283

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,063,894 12/1936 Jack 30/293 X 2,121,681 6/1938 Bassett r 30/293 2,641,834 6/1953 Bobrowski 30/293 X Primary ExaminerAl Lawrence Smith Assistant Examiner-J. C. Peters Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Julian Caplan [57] ABSTRACT Uncased books or bound documents of the type shown in US. Pat. No. 3,596,929 comprise sheets formed with spaced apertures along one margin bound by a first thermo-plastic strip having studs fitting through the apertures and a second strip formed with holes, preferably counterbored through which the studs extend. The studs are cut to proper length and headed to fill the counterbores. A debinding tool has a blade which fits under the second strip, between the topmost sheet and the strip and shears off the studs or pops off the heads. The tool may be used to fulfill the debinding function in several ways.

5 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures DEBINDING TOOL This invention relates to a new and improved debinding tool. More specifically, the tool is used to debind uncased books and bound documents of the type shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,596,929. Suitable apparatus and method for binding such books is best shown in application Ser. No. 134,359 now US. Pat. No. 3,756,625. The present tool is used to debind such books and bound documents whenever the occasion necessitates.

A principal purpose of the present invention is to provide a hand tool which is conveniently used for the debinding operation. Features of the tool are its small size, light weight and inexpensive construction.

Another feature of the invention is the fact that the tool may be used for the debinding operation in several ways depending upon the wishes of the operator and the physical limitations of the operator. Preliminarily, the blade of the tool is inserted under the apertured plastic strip between the topmost sheet and the underside of the strip. The debinding may be accomplished either by pulling the tool lengthwise of the strip so that the blade shears studs serially; or alternatively, the tool may be rocked from side to side about the axis of each 1 stud so that the blade severs each stud individually. The

second described method of using the tool is desirable where the strength of the operator is insufficient to perform the first operation.

Another feature of the invention is the fact that the tool is apertured so that the operator may observe the location of the apertured plastic strip during the debinding operation to reduce the chance of damage to the sheets being debound. Nevertheless, the construction of the aperture is such that the aperture wall provides an obstruction which prevents the heads of the studs from popping off and injuring the eye or skin of the operator or bystanders.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings in which similar characters of reference represent corresponding parts in each of the several views.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a debinidng tool shown in a position having debound approximately half of a book.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary top plan of the distal portion of the tool.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view from the rear of FIG. I.

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 55 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 66 of FIGS.

'An uncased book or bound document 20 in accordance with said U.S. Pat. No. 3,596,929 comprises a plurality of sheets 21 each formed along one marginal edge with apertures 22 at preferably regular intervals. A first thermo-plastic strip 26 is formed with projecting thermo-plastic studs 27 at the same intervals which between, the excess lengths of the studs 27 are cut off and heads 33 are formed on the severed ends of the studs 27 filling the counterbores 32. It will be understood that other means may be employed to cut and head the studs 27. In this form, the bound book or document 20 is permanent and ordinarily the sheets 21 cannot be separated. However, occasionally it is necessary or desirable to debind the book 20. The tool 36 of the present invention is useful for this purpose.

Tool 36 has a distal end 37, a handle 38 at the opposite end and an offset 39 interconnecting the distal end and handle so that the level of the handle 38 is above that of the distal end 37.

Distal end 37 has a top surface 41 which is preferably flat and is formed centrally with an irregularly shaped aperture 42 which enables the operator to observe the debinding operation as it proceeds. Projecting from the bottom 43 of distal 37 is a'parallel guide 44 which is longitudinally disposed along one side of aperture 42. Guide 44 is intended to locate strip 29 parallel to the tool. Its depth is preferably of more than twice the thickness of strip 29. Along the same side of aperture 42 as guide 44 is a side edge rim 46 which projects below bottom 43 approximately the same distance as guide 44. At the forward end of the tool, there is an inturned rocker 47 which is an extension of rim 46 but extends along the front edge of the tool and inwardly and is rounded at the corner where the front edge and inturned portion intersect. Thereis a side rim 48 on the side of the tool opposite rim 46 which is of lesser depth than rim 48 and which terminates in an inturned portion 49 about midway of the length of the distal portion I Projecting downwardly from bottom 43 are bosses 51, one on each side of aperture 42.and the boss 51 on the same side as guide 44 being considerably forwardly of the forward edge of aperture 42 and the boss 51 on the opposite side being approximately at the midpoint of the side of aperture 42. Blades 52 are secured to bosses 51 by screws 53. As best shown in FIG. 4, the blade 52 slants and as shown in FIG. 2, the blade is slightly exposed through aperture 42. The margin of aperture 42 is slanted as indicated in FIG. 2 by reference numeral 56 over the blade. The purpose of the slanted portion 56 is to form an obstruction which prevents the heads 33 from popping out of the aperture 42 as the debinding operation proceeds and thus functions as a precaution against the heads damaging the eye or skin of the operator or bystanders.

In use of the device as best shown in FIGS. 1, 5 and 6, the tool 36 is positioned so that the distal end 37 is near one end of strip 29 and the handle 38 points in the opposite direction. The tool 36 is pulled back so that the cutting edge of blade 52 fits under strip 29 and above the topmost sheet 21. As has been mentioned, there are at least two ways to use tool 36. The first way is to pull the handle 38 to the left as viewed in FIG. 1 so that the blade 52 cuts off each stud 27 serially as the tool is drawn the length of the book.

A second method of using tool 36 is employed where the strength of the operator makes the first method burdensome. The second method is shown in FIG. 4. The edge of strip 29 is positioned so that it is tangent to rocker 47. By rocking the tool 36 as indicated by the arcuate arrow in FIG. I, the slanted blade 52 is made to slice each stud 27. The rocking of tool 36 is repeated until each of the studs 27 has been severed.

The tool has been illustrated and described used with the blade inserted between the sheets 21 and the strip 29. However, the tool also functions satisfactorily inserted under strip 26.

I claim:

1. A tool for debinding a bound document of the type comprising a plurality of sheets formed with apertures spaced a short distance inward of one margin thereof, a first narrow strip overlying said apertures and having studs projecting through said apertures, a second narrow strip overlying said apertures on the side of said document opposite said first strip and means securing said studs to said second strip, said tool comprising a distal portion and a handle, said distal portion having a bottom, a guide rib projecting substantially perpendicularly below said bottom shaped to fit alongside the edge of one of said strips, a blade having a cutting edge and blade attachment means securing each end of said blade to said distal portion vicinal said guide rib with said blade and said cutting edge disposed parallel to said bottom and extending obliquely to said guide rib, said blade spaced from said bottom a distance at least as great as the thickness of one of said strips.

2. A tool according to claim 1 which further comprises a side edge rim depending substantially perpendicularly from said bottom formed adjacent the front of said distal portion with an inward directed, rounded rocker surface whereby, when the edge of one strip is placed under said blade and alongside said rocker surface and said tool is oscillated relative to said document about said rocker surface, said blade severs one of said studs.

3. A tool according to claim 1 in which said distal portion is formed with a viewing aperture adjacent said blade whereby the user of said tool may view the position of said strip relative to said blade, said viewing aperture being closed off parallel to said blade whereby pieces of said studs are deflected from flying through said aperture and prevented from damaging the user of said tool.

4. A tool according to claim 1 in which said handle is offset relative to said distal portion so that, when said guide rib lies against said document, said handle is elevated relative to said document to facilitate gripping said handle with the fingers.

5. A tool according to claim 1 in which said blade attachment means is removable to permit changing said blade. 

1. A tool for debinding a bound document of the type comprising a plurality of sheets formed with apertures spaced a short distance inward of one margin thereof, a first narrow strip overlying said apertures and having studs projecting through said apertures, a second narrow strip overlying said apertures on the side of said document opposite said first strip and means securing said studs to said second strip, said tool comprising a distal portion and a handle, said distal portion having a bottom, a guide rib projecting substantially perpendicularly below said bottom shaped to fit alongside the edge of one of said strips, a blade having a cutting edge and blade attachment means securing each end of said blade to said distal portion vicinal said guide rib with said blade and said cutting edge disposed parallel to said bottom and extending obliquely to said guide rib, said blade spaced from said bottom a distance at least as great as the thickness of one of said strips.
 2. A tool according to claim 1 which further comprises a side edge rim depending substantially perpendicularly from said bottom formed adjacent the front of said distal portion with an inward directed, rounded rocker surface whereby, when the edge of one strip is placed under said blade and alongside said rocker surface and said tool is oscillated relative to said document about said rocker surface, said blade severs one of said studs.
 3. A tool according to claim 1 in which said distal portion is formed with a viewing aperture adjacent said blade whereby the user of said tool may view the position of said strip relative to said blade, said viewing aperture being closed off parallel to said blade whereby pieces of said studs are deflected from flying through said aperture and prevented from damaging the user of said tool.
 4. A tool according to claim 1 in which said handle is offset relative to said distal portion so that, when said guide rib lies against said document, said handle is elevated relative to said document to facilitate gripping said handle with the fingers.
 5. A tool according to claim 1 in which said blade attachment means is removable to permit changing said blade. 